Joseph henby sams



(No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 1.

J. H. SAMS.

n FIRE PLAGE FRONT. No. 349,813- Patented sepa. 28, 1886.V

N. PETERS, Pnomulhngmpher. wahingmn. D. C.

(NoMode'l.)

y J. HSAMS. PIRE PLAGE FRONT.'

.2 sheets--sheen 2.

Patented SeptiZB, 1886.

UMTED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

J OSElH HENRY SAMS, OF vWEST KENSINGTON, COUNTY OEMIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

FIRE-PLACE FRONT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 349.813, dated September 28, 1886.

Application filed July 1, 1885. Serial No. 170,431. Y (No model.) Patented in England September 19, 1884, No. 19,619.

.To all whom' it may concern: y

Beit known thatlI, JOSEPH HENRY SAMS, a citizen of Great Britain,'and'a resident of West Kensington', in the county of Middlesex,

England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Place Fronts, of which the following is' a specication.

The object of my invention is to so construct and arrange a chimney or mantel piece thatdoors or screens secured thereto and adapted to be swung toward or from each other, so' as to completelyy or partially close in or exposeA the grate or fireplace, and in the other features, more particularly hereinafter set forth and claimed, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specicatiomwherein like letters indicate like parts.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is. a front plan view of a mantel or chimney piece embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa horizontal section on the line a: x, Fig. l; Fig. 3, a front plan view, andFig. 4 a like view of a modification of Fig. l.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 the means for closing the opening in the chimney or mantel are screens or frames pivoted or hinged to or at the jambs of the chimney or mantel piece.

A Arepresent the swinging frames or screens, which may be made of metal, wood, or any other suit-able material. While they may be hinged directly to the jambs, I prefer, as affording a more ornamental and secure attachment thereto, that they be attached to columns or pillars B, which are formed or providedl with dowels or pintles B B2 at their ends, which enter sockets or holes formed at suitable points inthe upper and lower parts of the casing, or in metallic or other step pieces or supports attached thereto. Vhen these columns are used as the pivotal supports of the swinging screens, the front faces of the jambs may be hollowed out or concaved, as shown'in Figs. l and 2, to receive the columns for, say,

labout half their diameter, and the column and the jambs may be givensuch ornamental contour and finish as is desired.

The swinging frames or screensA A may be solid and of one material., or the frames A A may be lled in with panels of different material. For instance, the vpanels may be of plain, decorated,or colored glass, or of papiermache, each main frame A4 forming, with its filling,a complete swinging screen. In order, however, to increase the capability of use of the screen, both for closing the nre-place opening when the same is notin use and for use as a lire-screen when the fire-place is in use, I prefer to pivotally mount the panels within the main frames A A. 'Io this end, therefore, supplemental frames D D, Figs. l and 2, are secured within the main frames A A by pivots D D in vertical line, and these supplemental frames are lled with suitable panels, EE, which may be plain or ornaniented glass, mirrors, &c. As these supplemental frames D D can be turned entirely around, the contained panels E E may be iinished differently on their opposite faces, so that the screen may vbe made to present a different appearance whenever desired, thus'changing the decorative effect of the mantel orchimney piece. As shown, these supplemental frames maybe turned to assume any angle with the main frames, so that when the fire-place is thrown open andin use they maybe used as firescreens to intercept the heat radiated in any direction.

Instead of pivoting the supplemental frames D D within the main frames A A on a vertical line, they may be pivoted therein on a hori. zontal line, as shown in Figs. 3 andfl, sothat they can be tilted at any angle'desired. In this plan the decorations of the panels can be more fully and conveniently seen and inspected, while if theV panels be provided with mirrors they canbe placed in such position `as best enables them to serve as regulating-surfaces for the contents of the room or for the persons desiring to so use them. It will be seen thus that the screens can be placed in roo any desired radial position `intermediate between complete closure-and complete opening of the fire-place; that they may be used as screens for protecting any desired part of the room from the fire; that when used as screens, if either of the panels be clear or ground glass the fire may be seen without excessive heat, while if properly-colored glass be used the re, by reason of the colors in such glass, may be made to add greatly to the decorative effect of the room; and thatif the mirrors be used they serve also as dwarf cheval looking-glasses.

In Fig. 7'the screen for one-half the opening is made of two parts, A A, hinged together, so as to be f'olded back upon each other. Back of the jamb two pockets or recesses are provided, in which they may be slid.

I am aware that doors have been hinged to the upper part of the sides of grate-frames or fire-places and adapted to be swung forward and close the upper part of the fire-place, so as to act as a blower therefor, increasing the draft and aiding in quick combustion. Such I do not claim, as such construction in no wise embodies my invention, which does not relate to any change orirnproveinent in grates or re-places or in the construction of blowers therefor, but relates, as before stated, entirely to improvements in mantel or chimney pieces.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:`

1. The combination, with a mantel or chimney piece, of doors or screens pivotally secured or hinged ythereto extending from top to bottom ofthe lire-place opening and adapted to be swung in any desired radial position intermediate between complete closure and complete opening of the lire-place,substantiall y as V Dits ends to form the pivotal connection of the screen-frames to the mantel or chimney piece, substantially as set forth.- p l 4. The combination of a mantel or chimney piece, main screen-frames provided with supplemental frames, substantially as described,

and extending from top to bottom of the fireplace opening to completely inclose the same, when desired, pillars or columns, one for and attached to each main screen-frame and doweled at its ends to formthe pivotal connection of the main screen-frames to the mantel or chimney piece, substantially as set forth.

Signed at London, in the county of Middlesex, England, this twelfth day of June, A. D. 1885.

JOSEPH HENRY SAMS.

f Witnesses:

T. A. PEsKE'rT, J. M. BoULLoN. Both of No. 7 Popes Head Alley, London, Clerks to Messrs. Grain t Sons, of same place, Notcnf'les. 

